Friedman’s Lunch (REVIEW)

If you are in NYC and are either gluten-free or not….you really need to try Friedman’s Lunch!! In my many searches for gluten-free dining options in NYC this place always comes up as having gluten-free options, however today was the first time we tried it. It’s located inside of Chelsea Market, cute little place with a great atmosphere! I walked in thinking “this is my kind of place”. The staff was very friendly and extremely helpful, and the menu-wow! Talk about options – anything on the menu with an * can be made gluten free…which is almost the entire menu!

Bryan, his friend Mike and myself spent the day in the City yesterday just wandering around with no real plans and ended up making a complete day of it. Went to Ground Zero, which is an extremely humbling place. I wasn’t fortunate enough to have seen the towers while they were still standing but so badly wish I could have. Then it was off to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty at a distance because, little did I know tickets were sold out months in advance. I also got to experience Canal Street for the first time yesterday, no I didn’t buy anything. It was way to hot to be on a street that crowded so we finally starting making out way to get some food. By the time we arrived at Friedman’s the three of us were starving.

Some times it can be a bit uncomfortable searching for a place to eat online and then convince who ever you are with to come and try it with you, especially if you have never been there before AND they are gluten-free. It’s along the lines of telling someone how amazing a movie or book is and they go and watch it and end up hating it. But, I love trying new places with Bryan because he gets to try the non gluten-free items (if available) and give me his opinion on them. He has gotten really good at this and offers up some great opinions especially if he is trying the gluten-free version of something. Bryan is really great about trying all these new places and new products with me.

I was so hungry I could have eaten the entire menu and it was nice to see that I had options other than salad. Bryan and I ended up getting the same thing, a B.L.A.T – Bacon.Lettuce.Avocado.Tomato sandwich, his on normal bread, mine on Udi’s gluten-free bread with a side of gluten-free french fries. Mike ended up ordering the Southwestern Turkey Burger that came with french fries and also ordered a side of their mac-n-cheese (which looked AMAZING). Both of our B.L.A.T.’s were very good. The bacon was thick cut (who doesn’t love that?!), the avocado was nice and creamy, not over ripe and again the Udi’s bread held up amazingly. It was placed in a panini and never got soggy even with the herbed aioli. Just like Tu-Lu’s each sandwich came with a side of mixed greens that were lightly dressed and a half of a pickle. The French Fries were perfect. Thickly cut and crunch but still soft in the middle. There was no ketchup needed for these. They were tossed with a little bit of sea salt and some crushed rosemary and sage. Mike really enjoyed his Southwest Turkey Burger and said the mac-n-cheese was great (sadly couldn’t have tried either). The staff was so careful there about gluten-free that they originally made his burger with a gluten-free bun (they changed it out for him before even bringing it to the table) but that was very impressive to see.

When our delicious meal was over I went up to the register to ask them a few questions and the answers and help were beyond what I was expecting. The staff there is kind and extremely knowledgeable. I asked which bread they used for my sandwich (so I could get it right on here) and the proceeded to tell me what gluten-free bread products they use for all of their meals (see list below). They also have a print out of where all of their gluten-free products come from. They suggested I come back for breakfast at some point because not only do they offer sandwiches with gluten-free bread (I should note that for gluten-free bread, bagels etc. they do charge an additional $2.25 but it is well worth it) they also offer bagels, baguettes and pancakes!!

Here is some information from their website:

The inviting open kitchen, dark wood tabletops, exposed filament bulbs; chalkboard menus, large mirrors and vintage wallpaper create a rustic setting and a welcoming atmosphere at Friedman’s Lunch. Tryg offers exciting daily specials such as a fresh squeezed juice of the day and an assortment of market sides. Some other menu favorites includes the pastrami reuben, two bean turkey chili, spicy mac n’ jack and 100% ground beef brisket burger.

Most of the items on the menu are also available gluten-free, an element that was particularly important to Vanessa when establishing Friedman’s Lunch. Having been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance as a teenager, an ailment that requires the elimination of all gluten products from one’s diet, Vanessa needs to be on a life-long gluten-free diet. When Vanessa and Tryg met, they began to experiment with ways of eliminating gluten from various dishes. Tryg discovered that he was able to re-create many classic dishes into delicious gluten-free options. Now they are very excited to offer these gluten-free creations to the community.

Friedman’s Lunch is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Take-out, dine-in and full service catering are available.

Next time you are in NYC head on over to Chelsea Market and give Friedman’s a try, I honestly don’t think you will be disappointed. I hope when you try it you enjoy it as much as we did. Thank you to their staff for all of their help and information.